Close to $90,000 spent by two deep-pocketed trade associations to host officials and their wives in luxury accomodations at conferences in California and Oregon

Two high-profile trade associations spent more than $23,000 combined to fly and host the wives and family members of state lawmakers at recent industry conferences, state records show.

Two high-profile trade associations spent more than $23,000...

AUSTIN — Two influential trade associations combined to spend close to $90,000 in June on airfare, food and luxury accommodations to host state officials and several of their spouses at industry conferences, according to new disclosure filings.

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Conferences put on by the Associated General Contractors of Texas and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas, in particular, have long been big-dollar affairs and can include first-class flights, rooms in posh resorts and expensive meals. June events hosted by the two groups were no different.

Lobbyists are allowed under state law to pay for a state official's travel or lodging so long as it is for a fact-finding trip or to attend a conference. The state official must also perform a duty that is "more than merely perfunctory" at the event, which generally means giving a speech or participating in a panel discussion. At the AGC conferences, for example, state officials are required to speak on panels on two separate days.

Lawmakers say the conferences provide a platform to exchange ideas with business leaders on key state issues, but the freebies have raised questions among watchdogs and even regulators. The Texas Ethics Commission earlier this year tightened rulesto prevent potential abuse specifically for fact-finding trips but left the issue of lobby-paid travel for conferences untouched.

AGC of Texas and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas are responsible for most of the more than $1.2 million lobbyists have spent hosting state officials at conferences since 2005.

AGC of Texas' spending total in that period, according to state records, is now close to $590,000, while the trade group representing engineers has dropped around $297,000.

Lobbyists have also spent more than $241,000 for family members of state officials to attend conference trips, with the bulk — around $216,000 — coming from AGC of Texas and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas. State law allows for lobbyists to pay for "necessary expenditures for transportation and lodging" on conference trips, though some have argued bringing family members makes the trips more akin to a junket.

Michael Hancock, the deputy executive director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas, did not return a request for comment. But Tom Johnson, executive vice president of AGC of Texas, said in a May interview that it's easier to get a lawmaker or state official to attend a conference if their spouse can tag along.

"You have to take these spouses to a nice place," Johnson said. "The wife is not going to take off from work unless it's going to be an informative and fun trip."